Natural Capital Accounting and Biodiversity Conservation

Developing internationally comparable and coherent data systems that monitor the state of natural capital and the benefits that humanity derives from it , i.e., developing natural capital accounting (NCA) – is expected to facilitate better informed decision making and support sustainable development transitions. NCA approaches, such as System of Environmental Economic Accounting, Wealth Accounting or other forms of complementary accounting, vary in their focus and information they provide and the extent to which they can support biodiversity conservation. This article (1) outlines the different approaches to NCA, (2) describes the main features of international programs of environmental accounting work, (3) discusses the role that NCA can play in supporting conservation objectives, and (4) concludes with a summary of the arguments made.